The Transporter

Illinois Center for Transportation’s research projects range from theoretical to full-scale field-testing and evaluation of pavement, railroad and transportation systems. Most projects are conducted in partnership with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), but agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) also fund applied and theoretical research at ICT.

My research interests are focused on the application of advanced numerical modeling and the Finite Element Method (FEM) in Pavement Mechanics, to predict, analyze and optimize the behavior of flexible pavement structures under complex loading configurations. I have also delved into the modeling of tire-pavement interaction, the understanding of vehicle dynamics through mechanical models and the application of Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to solve complex engineering problems. Currently, I am working on the following ICT projects:

Impact of Commercial Electric Vehicles on Flexible Pavement Performance

The project aims to assess the impact of electric trucks on flexible pavements, focusing on the effect of higher wheel torque levels delivered by electric engines. The final deliverable will evaluate potential changes in IDOT pavement design guidelines.

Building ML‑based Prediction Models for Computationally Efficient Airfield Pavement Analysis

The project focuses on combining field and synthetic data to develop and calibrate generalized prediction models for airfield pavement analysis, using advanced FEM modeling and physics-informed Machine Learning algorithms.

Impact of Dynamic Wheel Loading on Pavement Responses for Non-Free-Rolling Conditions

MS Thesis. Building on the work carried out by the Illinois Center of Transportation (ICT), a reviewed generalframework to incoporate roughness-induced Dynamic Wheel Loading on pavement analysis was developed.